The Broadchurch Season 2 Trailer Is Emotional And Brutal

In 2013, ITV premiered Broadchurch, a complex murder mystery drama contained in a small town. The show was so acclaimed it got a US spinoff in Gracepoint and was easily renewed for a second season. Now, ITV has given us a first look at what Season 2 will look like and it’s an emotional doozy.

The Season 2 trailer fittingly starts with Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller sitting on a bench and looking particularly somber. It soon cuts to Ellie crying on some stairs. Of course, we should have known things wouldn’t be light and happy during Season 2, following the events in Season 1, during which a young boy died and numerous citizens in Broadchurch found their lives turned topsy-turvy, Ellie included. The rest of the trailer is also filled with anguish, as well as hints about the new season. At one point, Ellie asks “Where were you the night those girls disappeared?”

It’s hard to tell where Season 2 is going exactly, but we do know it’s going to be a rough season for the town. Unfortunately, even with the awesome footage from ITV, the best stuff we get to see includes glimpses of new characters, played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Charlotte Rampling. BBC America’s trailer for Season 2, which also dropped today, is no more informative, using footage from Season 1 to launch Season 2 in the States. (Note: Keep in mind the BBC America trailer is a lot more spoilery for those who are watching Gracepoint, a show which may or may not have a similar ending to its source material).

It's weird that I've watched several teasers and trailers, now, and still have no idea what Broadchurch Season 2 is about, beyond the fact that it seems to be picking up after the events in Season 1. The show is hitting the UK first, premiering on Monday, January 5. It will hop over the pond in February, hitting BBC America on February 4 at 10 p.m. ET. That’s still a couple of months away for US viewers, and hopefully we’ll learn a little more about the new episodes in the interim.